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    • Where to Visit in Busan, South Korea
      • Haeundae Beach (해운대 해수욕장) in Busan, Korea
      • Gwangalli Beach & Gwangan Bridge (광안리 해수욕장 & 광안대교)
      • Gamcheon Culture Village (감천문화마을) in Busan, South Korea
      • BIFF Square (BIFF 광장) & Kakao Friends, Busan, South Korea
      • Gukje Market (국제시장), Busan, South Korea
      • Taejongdae Resort Park (태종대 유원지), Busan, South Korea
      • Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (해동용궁사), Busan, South Korea
      • Shopping in Busan: Complete Guide to Department Stores
      • Luxury Hotels in Busan, South Korea
      • Oryukdo Island (오륙도) & Oryukdo Skywalk
      • Songdo Beach & Songdo Cloud Trails (송도해수욕장 & 송도구름산책로), Busan, South Korea
      • Dongbaekseom Island (동백섬) in Busan, South Korea
      • Songjeong Beach (송정해수욕장), Busan, South Korea
      • Dadaepo Beach (다대포 해수욕장) & Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dream in Busan, Korea
      • Beomeosa Temple (범어사) in Busan, South Korea
      • Busan X The SKY in Busan, South Korea
      • Jukseong Church (Dream Open Set / 죽성성당) in Busan, South Korea
      • Nakdong Estuary Eco Center (낙동강하구에코센터) in Busan, South Korea
      • Nurimaru APEC House (누리마루 APEC 하우스) in Busan, South Korea
      • F1963, Urban Cultural Complex, Busan, South Korea
      • United Nations Memorial Cemetery (유엔기념공원) in Busan, South Korea
      • Ilgwang Beach (일광해수욕장) in Busan, South Korea
      • Museum of Contemporary Art Busan (부산현대미술관)
      • Seongjigok Reservoir (성지곡수원지) in Busan, South Korea
      • Hwamyeong Rose Park (화명장미공원), Busan, South Korea
    • Where to Visit in Seoul, South Korea
      • Complete Guide to Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) in Seoul
      • Gwanghwamun Square (광화문광장), Seoul, South Korea
      • The Story of King Sejong (세종이야기) in Seoul, South Korea
      • Insadong (인사동), Seoul, South Korea
      • Jogyesa Temple (조계사) in Seoul, South Korea
      • Seoul Lantern Festival (서울 빛초롱축제)
    • Other Destinations in South Korea
      • Jeonju Hanok Village (전주한옥마을) in South Korea
      • Jeonju Hyanggyo (전주향교), South Korea
      • Tongdosa Temple (통도사), Gyeongsangnamdo, South Korea
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Gwangalli Beach & Gwangan Bridge (광안리 해수욕장 & 광안대교)

Marine City over Gwangan Bridge in Busan, South Korea

If you are a fan of Busan in South Korea, it wouldn’t be too hard to answer the following two questions: what is the most recognized landmark in Busan? And, where can you see it from? The answers are Gwangan Bridge (Gwangandaegyo) and Gwangalli Beach. Now we are going to visit these two popular spots.

Location

219, Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea

 

Hours

Open year-round

Admission

  • Gwangalli Beach: Free
  • Gwangan Bridge: Compact Cars – ₩500 / Mid-sized vehicles – ₩1,000 / Large vehicles – ₩1,500 (Discounted rate during commuting time: weekdays 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. / 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)

Directions

  • Subway: Line 2 (Green Line). Get off at Geumryeonsan station (금련산/210), Exit 1 or 3 > About 600 meters walk (2000 feet)
  • Bus: No. 41 or 42. Get off at Gwangalli Haesuyokjang (광안리 해수욕장/Gwangalli Beach) bus stop

Parking

Paid public parking is available near Gwangalli Beach (Suyeong-gu Gwangan Public Parking and Millak Waterside Park Public Parking)

Contact

  • Call – Gwangalli Beach: Suyeong-gu +82 51-622-4251 / Gwangan Bridge: +82 1670-8114
  • Website: Suyeong-gu Homepage / Gwangan Bridge Homepage

Gwangalli Beach – The View Can’t Get Better Than This

360 Degree View of Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea

There are seven beaches in Busan, South Korea. Although all of them have their own unique charm and beauty, I have to admit that they are not recognized by visitors at the same level. Gwangalli Beach had been under the shadow of Haeundae Beach for a long time, but since Gwangan Bridge was completed, it has been one of the most popular beaches not only in Busan but also in South Korea. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, this popular beach was the third most-visited beach in South Korea in 2019 with over 12 million visitors. 

Gwangalli Beach is 1.4 km long and more than 300 trendy cafes and restaurants are lined along the beach. In the nighttime, the lights at Gwangan Bridge make the view from the beach unforgettable. Busking performers play music along the beach and you can’t help feeling romantic. In order to make the beach a better place for visitors and locals, smoking is not allowed over the whole beach area. 

Namcheon-dong residentail area from Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea
High-rise buildings on Gwangalli Beach, Busan South Korea
Skyline of Millak-dong from Gwangalli Beach, Busan, Korea
Klook.com

Instagrammable Gwangalli Beach

Lifetime shot spot at Gwangalli Beach with Gwangan Bridge, Busan, Korea

As I mentioned above, Gwangalli Beach is famous for trendy cafes with breathtaking views of Gwangan Bridge. Thanks to the growing popularity of social media such as Instagram and YouTube, these hip cafes have attracted people from all over South Korea and even international influencers. In addition to these hot cafes and restaurants, Gwangalli Beach recently has been inviting more visitors with a variety of marine sports like jet boats, bandwagons, paddle boats, and windsurfing, just to name a few. 

By any chance, do you feel familiar with Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge? If you are a fan of Marvel Studio movies, I am not surprised that you recognize the area. The Gwangalli area and Gwangan Bridge are filming locations for Black Panther. 

Black Panther Movie on Gwangan Bridge, Busan, Korea
Movie: Black Panther (source: screen-it.com / ©Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures)

Gwangalli Beach was once a fishing town and it was not originally considered a beach for summer visitors. Thus, the residential areas are very close to the beach. In fact, some communities are adjacent to the beach, unlike Haeundae Beach. Thanks to this, many locals love to stroll, run, or walk their dogs along the promenade. Gwangalli Themed Street with street art installation along the beach makes the walk more joyful.  

Street art along Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea
Gwangalli Themed Street
Gwangan Bridge, Gwangalli Beach and Heart in Busan, Korea
Artistic building at Gwangalli Beach, Busan, Korea
Artistic buildings on the beach
Marince City from Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea
View of Marine City of Busan from Gwangalli Beach

Gwangan Bridge (Gwangandaegyo or Diamond Bridge)

Gwangan Bridge from Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea

Gwangan Bridge (Gwangandaegyo) is South Korea’s longest double-deck bridge with a length of 7.42 km (4.6 miles), connecting Centum City in Haeundae-gu and Namcheon-dong in Suyeong-gu. Diamond Bridge is another name of the landmark although I haven’t seen many Busanites call the bridge by that name. 

The bridge is open only for vehicles so no pedestrians are allowed. However, you can walk on the bridge at some special occasions or events. Diamond Bridge Walking Festival is an annual event that the bridge is open to participants. Also, on New Year’s Day, the bridge’s upper deck is open to the public so people can enjoy the very first sunrise of the year with a phenomenal view. The view from the bridge embraces a complete scenery from Oryukdo Islands through Gwangalli Beach and Dongbaekseom Island to Dalmaji Hill in Haeundae. 

Gwangan Bridge in Busan, South Korea

While watching Busan from Gwangan Bridge is fantastic, watching the bridge is another wonderful experience. Gwangan Bridge is simply beautiful during the daytime, but it gets even better in the nighttime. The bridge is decorated with more than 7,000 LED lights and these lights can create more than a hundred thousand colors. Just be aware that the lights go out at 1 a.m. during the regular period. It delays to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night and every night in July and August.

In addition, the bridge becomes a perfect background during the famous Busan Fireworks Festival. There are more than one reason why CNN chose this impressive structure as one of 50 beautiful places to visit in South Korea.  

TMI

The city of Busan completed the Gwangan Bridge in December 2002. It’s a toll road and the upper deck directs from Centum City to Namcheon-dong and the lower deck in the opposite direction. Interestingly, the upper deck is under jurisdiction of Haeundae-gu and Haeundae PD while the lower deck is under Suyeong-gu and Nambu PD.

If you want to drive over Gwangan Bridge but you don’t own a car or can’t rent one, try Bus No. 1006 or 1011. They are only two bus routes that go over the bridge. 


Festivals at Gwangalli Beach

Busan Fireworks Festival

Busan Fireworks Festival is one of the largest fireworks festivals in South Korea. More than one million spectators visit Gwangalli Beach to see the event every year. Every fall, the fireworks get synchronized with music and laser lights, and the whole combination creates unforgettable sceneries over Gwangan Bridge. Besides Gwangalli Beach, you can watch the fireworks from Igidae, Hwangryeongsan Mountain, Dongbaek Island, and a few more locations.

Gwangalli Eobang Festival

Gwangalli Eobang Festival is an annual festival in April celebrating the regional tradition that historically encouraged a strong relationship between navy and fishermen. The word, ‘Eobang,’ was a fishing community combining those two groups. The festival features a variety of events such as musicals, parades, guard changing ceremony, concerts and more.  

Busan Sea Festival

Busan Sea Festival takes place at Gwangalli Beach and other majors beaches. The locations include Haeundae Beach, Songdo Beach, Dadaepo Beach, Songjoeng Beach, Ilgwang Beach, and Suyeongman Bay Yacht Marina. The festival starts every first day of August and it lasts until 9th of the same month. 

The festival is a party for Koreans and international visitors altogether. Every year the festival enlivens visitors with concerts, marine sports activities, summer night fireworks, and more. 


In Near Gwangalli Beach

Hotels and seafood restaurants on Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South KoreaA

If you are a fan of raw fish or seafood, or if you are willing to try them, Millak Hoe Town and Millak Waterside Park are the right destinations for you. They are located on the east side of Gwangalli Beach. If the weather allows, purchase hoe (raw fish) and other seafood at Millak Hoe Town, go to Milak Waterside Park right across the street and eat them there. It would be a memorable experience eating fresh seafood while watching the splendid Marine City skyline under the dark blue ocean sky.

Seafood restaurants near Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea

If you are visiting Gwangalli Beach during springtime, don’t forget to check out Cherry Blossom Street at Samik Beach Apartment Complex in Namcheon-dong. It’s located on the west side of Gwangalli Beach, the opposite side of Millak Waterside Park. The place has been on the list of the best Cherry Blossom spots in Busan for a long time. Unfortunately, the complex will go under construction soon, and we don’t know if all the cherry blossom trees will be preserved. So hurry if you want to walk under the famous cherry blossom tunnel.

Namcheon-dong, Busan, South Korea
Samik Beach Apartment Complex

  • Planning a trip to South Korea? Click here to find more destinations here.
  • Do you want to study in South Korea? Here is a basic guide to start with.
  • Want to learn about Korean culture and more? Click here to find more information about it.
  • Trying to learn Korean language? I have some interesting real expressions for you.
  • A big fan of Korean food? How about some Korean noodles?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Samirs says

    June 17, 2022 at 11:16 am

    Hello, your country also has its own beauties, it is a handy friend, I will definitely travel to your historical and beautiful country.

    Reply
    • busanpedia says

      June 18, 2022 at 12:31 pm

      Thank you~ Hope you come visit South Korea soon~

      Reply

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